Another Whale Found Dead With A Stomach Full Of Plastic

Two flip-flops, 115 plastic cups, 25 plastic bags, and four plastic bottles were among the single-use plastic waste found inside of a dead sperm whale that washed ashore in Indonesia.

According to Greenpeace an estimated 12.7 million tonnes of plastic end up in our oceans each year, and according to Sea Turtle Conservancy, over one million marine animals (including mammals, fish, sharks, turtles, and birds) are killed each year due to plastic debris in the ocean.

These bottles, beads and bags cause numerous problems with larger pieces choking animals, while smaller pieces clog the stomachs of creatures who mistake it for food.

It’s not just the large pieces choking that causes problems though, as the plastics degrade the seawater absorbs dangerous pollutants like PCBs, DDT and PAH from the debris.

These chemicals are highly toxic and cause mutations in sea life and allow toxic chemicals to enter the food chain affecting all animals including humans.

Despite the hard work of groups like Greenpeace, a recent report for the UK government found that plastic levels in the world’s oceans are set to treble.

However, a Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) report suggested the number of plastic bags in UK waters had decreased as a direct result of measures to tackle plastic waste, Climate Action write.

Cefas undertook regular surveys around British waters from 1992 to 2017 and between 2010 and 2017 they found the number plastic bags in the water had reduced from between 20 to 40 percent.

They believe this is because of the 5p bag charge UK supermarkets have adopted in recent years.

The issue is truly devastating and unless humans take action, our world is going to be destroyed by pollution.

Following the news of the sperm whale dying in Indonesia, a petition was set up to immediately regulate plastic bag usage.

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